CHAPTER 2
"ZEE WAKE UP, WE'RE GONNA BE LATE"BECKY SHOUTS FROM DOWNSTAIRS, I GROAN TRYING TO BLOCK OUT THE NOISE WITH MY PILLOW, MY EYES ALMOST BULDGE OUT WHEN I SEE THE TIME 7:50 "SHIT" I JUMP OUT OF BED INTO THE BATHROOM, TOOK A QUICK BATH, DRESSED UP IN A BAGGY PANTS WITH CROP TOP AND BOOTS, I PICK UP MY DISCARDED GLASSES FROM LAST NIGHT, WHICH I DIDN'T WERE TO THE CLUB BECAUSE BECKY HID THM FROM ME. I RUSH DOWNSTAIRS TO SEE BECKY EATING CEREAL, I CHOOSE TO IGNORE HER, MAKING MY OWN CEREAL AND SITTING AWAY FROM HER AND EATING, I FEEL HER EYES ON ME BUT I REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER "I'M SORRY" I HEAR HER PITIFUL VOICE, I DON'T LOOK AT HER "I KNOW I MESSED UP, FORCING YOU TO COME WITH ME AND LEAVING YOU ALONE. PLEASE FORGIVE ME ZEE" I LOOK UP AT THE TO SEE HER LOOKING VERY GUILTY, I KNOW NOT TO FALL FOR IT BECAUSE SHE DOES THIS EVERY TIME SHE DOES SOMETHING TO UPSET ME, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO KEEP GRUDGES WITH HER SO I JUST SIGH "OKAY" I NOD SLOWLY IN DEFEAT BECAUSE, THERES NOTHING I CAN DO "I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU" SHE SQUASHES ME IN A BEAR HUG "I CAN'T BREATHE" I MANAGE TO SAY ALMOST BREATHLESS "OH SORRY" SHE RELEASES ME WITH A SMILE, "LETS GO TO CLASS" I RINCE MY BOWL AND WE LEAVE OUR SHARED HOME. BECKY'S BEEN MY FRIEND SINCE HIGH SCHOOL, HER PARENTS ARE WEALTHY AND MINE WERE TOO UNTIL MY DAD WAS MURDERED FIVE YEARS AGO,MY DAD'S FAMILY CAME AND TOOK OVER EVERYTHING LEAVING ME AND MY MOM WITH NOTHING BUT WE MANAGED TO PICK OURSELVES UP WITH THE HELP OF BECKY'S PARENTS, I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL TO HER AND HER FAMILY, WE'RE THE SAME AGE BUT SHE'S WAY MORE SOCIALLY CONFIDENT AND PRETTY, I LOOK DULL IN CONTRAST TO HER BUT SHE'S MY BEST AND ONLY FRIEND. WHEN WE GOT TO COLLEGE, WE WENT OUR OWN WAYS BECAUSE WE BOTH STUDY DIFFERENT COURSES, SO I MAKE MY WAY TO MY LECTURE HALL ALONE, ALL BY MY SELF. FOR SOME REASON THIS SPECIFIC LECTURER SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME, I WALK INTO CLASS WITH SOME OTHER LATE STUDENTS "SHIVES, HOLD ON" BUT HE CALLS OUT ONLY ME, THE OTHER LATE STUDENTS WALK BY ME TO THEIR SEATS, LAUGHING AS THEY SIT "YOU HAVE KIDS AT HOME THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF?" I HEAR THE MOCKING TONE IN HIS VOICE "N-NO SIR" I STUTTER, IS THS MAN CRAZY, DO I LOOK THAT OLD? "THEN WHY ARE YOU LATE TO MY CLASS?" HE ASKED ME BUT I WASN'T THE ONLY LATE PERSON "I OVERSLEPT" I ANSWER BUT THIS MAN IS WILLING TO EMBARRASS ME THROUGHOUT THE CLASS THAN TO TEACH "WHY?, DID YOU SELL YOURSELF THE NIGHT BEFORE?" MY EYES WIDDEN IN SHOCK AT HIS WORDS, THE WHOLE CLASS BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER, WHAT THE FUCK IS SO FUNNY, I'M BEING EMBARRASSED, I RUN OUT OF THE CLASS IN SHAME, I RUN OUT OF COLLEGE TO A NEARBY RESTAURANT, I SIT IN A CORNER PANTING, WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?, I COULDN'T LET MYSELF CRY BECAUSE OF THAT OLD BAGS WORDS SO I JUST SUCKED IT IN, I ORDERED A PANCAKE WITH MILKSHAKE AND THEN A HAMBURGER, I AM GOING TO EAT THE PAIN AWAY. FEW MINUTES INTO MY BREAKFAST "SO YOU'RE A GLUTTON?" I LOOK UP AT THE VOICE TO SEE THE HANDSOME HUNK FROM LAST NIGHT, MY FOOD GETS STUCK IN MY THROAT CHOCKING ME, I COUGH , HITTING MY CHEST, TRYING TO COUGH IT OUT, I FEEL THE FAMILIAR WARMTH IN MY BACK AS THE HUNK WRAPS HIS ARM AROUND MY WAIST, PRESSING ME AGAINST HIM REPEATEDLY, THE LITTLE PIECE OF PANCAKE FLIES OUT OF MY MOUTH, THE HUNK PATS MY BACK GENTLY, HE HANDS ME A GLASS OF WATER WITH I ACCEPT "THANK YOU" I SAY IN A LOW VOICE, HE SMIRKS "SEEMS MY PRESENCE IS A DISRUPTION" HE SAYS LOOKING DOWN AT ME "N-NO, I'M SORRY, I WAS JUST SURPRISED" I TRY TO JUSTIFY MYSELF, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"I LOOK UP TO SEE HIS EYEBROW RAISED, HE LOOKS SO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM LAST NIGHT, HE LOOKS SO MUCH MORE SAFE THAN HE DID LAST NIGHT "MY COLLEGE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER,I CAME TO EAT BREAKFAST" I FINALLY REGAIN MY BOLDNESS AND LOOK UP AT HIM, STILL AVOIDING HIS EYES, I LOOK ANYWHERE BUT HIS EYES, "DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?" I LOOK CONFUSED, WHAT MAKES HIM THINK THAT "WHY DO YOU THINK SO?" I ASK HIM " YOUR EYES LOOK RED AND TIRED" HE EXPLAINS BUT HOW DOES HE SEE THAT I'M WEARING GLASSES "IT'S NOTHING, I DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT" I RESPOND WHICH TECHNICALLY ISN'T A LIE CAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT, "I'M SORRY" I HEAR HIM APOLOGIES AND I'M SHOCKED BECAUSE HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE TYPE TO GIVE AWAY APOLOGIES "DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT IT OKAY, FOR LAST NIGHT, SENDING YOU AWAY LIKE THAT, I'M SORRY" I CHUCKLE LIGHTLY AT HIS TONE, HE LOOKS WAY CUTER, HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO HANDSOME AND YET SO CUTE AT THE SAME TIME "IT'S OKAY" I SMILE AT HIM FINALLY MEETING HIS EYES TO SEE THEM WIDDEN IN SHOCK "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" I ASK TO BREAK THE SECONDS OF SILENCE, JUST TO HEAR HIS VOICE AGAIN WHICH IS MUSIC TO MY EARS "I HAD A MEETING CLOSE BY SO I JUST STOPPED BY FOR BREAKFAST" I NODDED MY HEAD IN UNDERSTANDING "OK " I EXPECTED HIM TO LEAVE, I SAT BACK IN MY SEAT WATING OUT THE NEXT LECTURE, HE SAT BESIDE ME, I LOOKED AT HIM IN SURPRISE, HE JUST SIGNALED A WAITER, PLACED HIS ORDER AND STARED AT ME."WHAT'S YOUR FULL NAME?" HE ASKED "UM...ZANIAH SHIVES" I ANSWERED HIM LOOKING AT MY HALF EATEN PANCAKE "HOW OLD ARE YOU?" I FELT LIKE I WAS ATTENDING AN INTERVIEW, WHY DOES HE WANT TO KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT ME, BUT I ANSWERED ANYWAY "I'M TWENTY-TWO" I NOTICED HOW HIS EYES SHONE AT MY REPLY. WE TALKED FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE HE LEFT, I WENT BACK TO COLLEGE ATTENDED THE REST OF MY CLASSES, I DIDN'T SEE BECKY ALL DAY, IT FELT LIKE SHE WASN'T EVEN AROUNG ANYMORE. I WENT BACK HOME WORRIED UNTIL I GOT A MESSAGE FROM HER THAT NIGHT "I'VE GONE HOME, I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW EVENING, I PROMISE. KISSES" THAT MESSAGE WAS ENOUGH TO DAMPEN MY MOOD, IT MEANS I'M ALONE IN THIS HOUSE, IT'S NOT BAD BUT I'VE GOTTEN SO USED TO BECKY'S PRESENCE THAT THE HOUSE FEELS QUIET LONELY WITHOUT HER. WITH A SIGH I JUST TURN ON THE TV AND PLUP DOWN ON THE COUCH. I DIDN'T GET HIS NAME, IT'D JUST OCCURRED TO ME, HE HAD SOME OF MY INFORMATION BUT I HAD NOTHING ON HIM, ONCE AGAIN I FEEL SO STUPID.
NATE POV
I WENT TO THE OFFICE THAT MORNING SO PISSED AT MYSELF AND THEN MY ASSISTANT INFORMED ME OF A MEETING I HAD, AFTER THE MEETING I DECIDED TO GET BREAKFAST AND THEN WHAT I SAW BRIGHTENED MY DAY, MY LITTLE DOVE WAS SEATED IN A CORNER STUFFING HER FACE WITH PANCAKE AND A HAMBURGER, SHE LOOKED SO CUTE, THAT I FELT A SMILE CURVE ON MY LIP, I WALKED TOWARDS HER, I HAD THE URGE TO LAUGH WHEN SHE CHOCKED ON HER PANCAKE BECAUSE OF ME, WHEN I TOUCHED HER IT FELT AMAZING, HER BODY WAS SO SOFT THAT IT FELT LIKE IT WAS MELTING IN MY ARMS, I FELT HER HUGE ROUND BUTT ON ME THROUGH HER TROUSERS WHICH DID NOTHING TO HIDE IT'S SOFTNESS, WHEN SHE LAUGHED, IT WAS MUSIC TO MY EARS, I LOVED THAT I WAS THE REASON FOR HER LAUGHTER, SHE WAS WEARING GLASSES WHICH I DIDN'T SEE ON HER LAST NIGHT, I STARED AT HER EYES AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG, WHEN I ASKED, SHE LIED, I KNEW SHE WAS LYING BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO PROBE FURHER SO I JUST LEFT IT AT THAT. I KNEW SHE WAS INTERESTED IN ME AND THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL, SHE'S THE FIRST GIRL WHO'S STARE I WELCOME, I LOVE WHEN SHE OBSERVES ME, THEN HER NAME "ZANIAH" BEAUTIFUL. WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY OFFICE SHE WAS THE ONLY THING ON MY MIND, MY ASSISTANT WALKED IN AND I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE "FIND OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT ZANIAH SHIVES" I ORDERED MY ASSISTANT, I KNOW HE WAS SHOUT BY MY COMMAND BECAUSE IT'S A FIRST BUT I COULDN'T HELP IT. AT HOME MY LOVELY MOM KEPT NAGGING ME ABOUT GETTING A GIRLFRIEND "NATE, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BRING A GIRL OVER?" MY MOM ASKED AS SOON AS I SAT DOWN AT THE DINING "VERY SOON MOM" I REPLY THINKING BACK TO MY LITTLE DOVE "I PRAY FOR THE GIRL WHO'S GONNA END UP WITH YOU" MY SISTER LESLY SAYS, I JUST ROLL MY EYES AT HER "SAME GOES FOR YOU" I TAUNT HER BACK, SHE'S VERY ANNOYING BUT I STILL LOVE HER "STOP IT BOTH OF YOU, YOUR DAD WENT TO VISIT HIS BROTHER SO HE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW, I CAN'T HANDLE YOU BOTH TAUNTING EACH OTHER" MY MOM SAYS. BEING THE FIRST SON ISN'T MUCH OF A HASSLE CAUSE I'M SMART, FINISHED SCHOOL EARLY AND TOOK OVER THE BUSINESS AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-FIVE, BUT I DON'T LIKE HAVING TO JUST DEPEND ON THE FAMILY BUSINESS SO I DECIDED TO START MY OWN COMPANY AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-TWO AND I'M STILL BUILDING IT UP BIT BY BIT, I HAVE A LOT OF GOALS BUT MY MAIN GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO "MAKE ZANIAH SHIVES MINE".